One thing I have decided this week is that although I probably don't need to as no doubt you'll be able to pay on the gate is that I'm still definitely getting a pass for next season.

Pure MGS.

I to will be renewing my pass, even though I do work every third Sunday.
I totally respect and support Neil in the manner he has delt with everything since Saturday.What I was trying to say is he needs some help.
He sometimes comes over as "it's my trainset" you can all watch but no body else is driving. Some new money and a different view would only help.

I tweeted an idea to Hudge the other night about putting Pride Of East Hull back on the shirt.

It may make us look a little inward looking, but right now it might help galvanise local support for our club further and I think it would help sell next season's replica shirts.

Brilliant. Here's me thinking success was down to skill levels and coaching. It is in fact down to the embroidery.

But if it helps sell extra shirts next season....

One of the problems with Rovers is that we're too insular. Personally I hate the 'Pride of East Hull' strapline as it ignores all of the fans who never have or don't live there. I'm a New Bridge Road lad originally but have lived all over the country because of work (I used to do a 350 mile round trip to watch Whitehaven destroy us) and now I live in Grimsby. I think the 'Pride of the East Riding' would be better, we only took the 'Pride of East Hull' because FC were sponsored by P&O and got their ships name 'Pride of Hull' as their strapline.

I agree, it's a bit insular but it was popular and might see a few extra shirts.

Any other money spinning ideas?

I thought the club might allow the fans to purchase 2, 3 and 5 year season passes. I know some can't afford it but for those that can it could get us over this awkward spell.

Every rugby or football club that had tried this it has always ended in disaster

Is there any evidence of that FTF ?

I know that when Saints moved from Knowsley Road my BIL bought a 3 year ST for the new stadium, he seemed to think it had been popular as it offered savings to the fans.

Not trying to discredit your claim, just interested to know why ?

Leeds Utd Bradford Bulls 3 Italian clubs have all done something similar the thing you spend say three years season pass money in a bid to go straight back up but if you don't you end up like Bradford

I have a bit of a fixed take on the kind of strategy required by the board in these extraordinary circumstances, which is a carry over from my direct working experience.

The club cannot get successful or reach its season goals of bouncing straight back to SL on "jam tomorrow" promises. It needs to maximise every revenue stream, generate increased new revenues and front load as much season pass revenue as it can. It also needs to take a bit of a risk.

It should offer a concrete incentive OPTION to those fans who want to commit to buy and pay for a multi year season pass in full now. That revenue should be capitalised in the P + L account as deferred income. However it is treated on the balance sheet as cash in the bank and can be used to make good on any central funding shortfall this season or to pay off any short-term loan or borrowing this year to meet extra funding needs.

Assuming promotion goals are achieved 12 months from now, the extra central funding generated next year in SL will deliver the cash necessary to cover the cash used this year from deferred income multi year pass sales. The risk is we fall short on our promotion goals and the related revenue is added to the debt pile.

1500 fans spending an extra £225 average this year on a 2018 season pass equates to an extra third of a million quid. If, like me, you love and support this club through the good times and the bad, then this is a gesture and an option that may help get us back this next 2017 season to where we want to be.

It's things like that which will ensure you never move away from the small club mentality epitomised by Hudgell himself, and which runs through your club's core. Think about the connotations attached to it; it's small time, local, parochial - why would any decent sponsors outside of EH want to get on board with that?

"Rally Round The Robins" is another one that makes your club sound small time. It's just unnecessary and helps fuel the aura around the club that it needs saving.

"Stick Together, Rovers Forever" I've seen banded about too.

I take your point about the pride of east hull. However, I do wonder about your opinion of Hull and Proud and the Team Hull localism espoused by your chairman and some fans? To be fair it is sometimes balanced by a bewildering degree of domineering arrogance. Less comical than normal this year, admittedly.

The others are uncontroversial enough to make me think that you're just desperately looking for ways to justify your predujices.

I don't see anything wrong with "Hull and Proud", or the "Team Hull" ethos. After all, "Hull" is in our name as a brand anyway, so I'm not sure either of those tag lines detract from what's already there. There is no way we'd ever market ourselves as "Pride of West Hull", it's just too narrow and almost creates a further niche that needn't be there.

If your team were called "East Hull Kingston Rovers", fair enough.




I didn't say they were controversial. I think they're unnecessary. They create the [iimpression[/i of a dying club, going after support from fans & sponsors by implying that the club needs saving and they're the ones to do so. It goes against the positive remarks made from Hudgell this week.